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'Children need to be around children' | El Dorado Hills schools prepare to welcome back students

Families were given the option to do a full distance learning model or a hybrid model to spend a half day on campus and a half day at home learning online.

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. — Hundreds of students are preparing to see their old friends, meet their new teachers and head back to school for in-person learning on Monday, Aug. 17, at the Rescue Union School District in El Dorado County.

Because El Dorado County is not on the state's watch list for high coronavirus numbers, students can return to school in a hybrid model if they follow a long list of safety protocols from the El Dorado County Public Health Department.

With new handwashing stations placed around every corner on campus, signs reminding third through fifth graders to keep their masks on and Plexiglas installed in some classrooms, Principal Michele Williamson is going into her 20th year as principal, more anxious to see her students than ever before.

"It's something that I cherish, it's something that I work incredibly hard to make sure that they're safe and it's very important to me," Williamson said.

Families were given the option between a full distance-learning model or a hybrid model where they'll be able to attend either morning or afternoon classes and spend the second half of their day learning from home.

The district says 800 students chose distance learning, but the majority, 2700 students, are coming back for in-person learning.

"We are incredibly excited, we feel like we've been incredibly thorough and looked at every possible detail as far as everything that we can do proactively to keep all of the children safe and healthy so we're feeling pretty confident about our start on Monday," Williamson said.

Students will stay socially distant by sitting in every other desk. The district even created its own natural disinfectant, which they say can kill a virus in 30 seconds.

Williamson says bringing students back is most important for their own mental health.

"Children need to be around children, they need to have caring adults in their lives everyday, consistent routines, a loving place to come to school everyday and learn," Williamson said.

Ali Esten, a parent of two boys in the district, said her family decided to go with the hybrid model. She already went back to school shopping, picking out new outfits and school supplies.

"We're super excited, we have been counting down the days since March for our kids to go back to school," Esten said. "Kids are just, they've been really rocked hard by this and I don't think it's necessary, I think that kids can go back to school safely because we choose that, we feel that we want our kids to go back to school."

In the event that a student does test positive for coronavirus, Superintendent Cheryl Olson said that student will go into quarantine at home, along with their entire class, for a two week period. They will also transition into the full distance learning model temporarily for that two week period.

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